Skill cranes and other amusement vending machines are typically found in retail locations where children are present. Such locations often include grocery stores, theme restaurants, game arcades, and the like. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,718,667 and 5,711,530 describe conventional skill crane games in detail. Other skill cranes and related systems are disclosed in pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/009,371, which was filed on Dec. 10, 2004, and is entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COLLECTING VEND DATA FROM, AND EXCHANGING INFORMATION WITH, VENDING MACHINES AND OTHER DEVICES.” U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,718,667 and 5,711,530, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/009,371, are incorporated in the present patent application in their entireties by reference.
Conventional skill crane games typically include a transparent cabinet that holds a plurality of prizes, such as stuffed toy animals, capsulated items, candy, etc. A movable claw or other grasping device is positioned inside the cabinet, and is operably connected to a joystick mounted on the outside of the cabinet. After inserting the required amount of money, the player attempts to grab a prize by moving the open claw into position with the joystick and releasing it. If the player has skillfully positioned the claw over the desired toy or prize, then the claw will descend onto the toy and grasp it. The claw then transfers the toy to an outlet chute from which the player can retrieve the toy. With all the toys mixed together in a pile, however, it is often difficult for the player to determine exactly which toy the claw is hovering over before dropping the claw. As a result, the player is often unsuccessful at grabbing a toy.
Some skill crane games limit the amount of time the player has to grab a prize. If the player does not grab a prize in the given time, then the player must insert more money into the machine for continued play. Other skill crane games give the player a single opportunity to drop the claws over a desired toy in an attempt to grasp a prize. If the player is unsuccessful, then the player must insert additional money for continued attempts. Given the difficulty of grabbing a toy on the first or second try, many players become discouraged by these game formats and do not return to play the game again.